26984 words

bound

26 definitions • 36 examples
1
certain or extremely likely to happen:

Examples:

[ + to infinitive ] You're bound to forget people's names occasionally.
You're bound to feel nervous about your interview.
2
to be seriously intending to do something:

Examples:

They are bound and determined to build their own house someday.
3
I am certain:

Examples:

He's in the pub, I'll be bound.
4
having a moral or legal duty to do something:

Examples:

The company is bound by a special agreement to involve the union in important decisions.
duty-bound She feels duty-bound to tell him everything.
5
tied with rope, cord, string, etc.:

Examples:

They left Jack, bound hand and foot, and guarded by one man.
His long brown braid bounced between his shoulders, and moisture formed and froze on the bound hair.
bound and gagged The security guard was found bound and gagged after the robbery.
6
(of a book) having a cover made of paper, leather, or other material:

Examples:

The book was bound in shiny green leather.
The archivist says the new documents are contained in a single bound volume.
7
going in a particular direction or towards a particular end result:

Examples:

bound for She was on a plane bound for Moscow when she got sick.
These two young musicians are bound for international success.
At long last, I was homeward bound.
8
9
to mark or form the limits of:

Examples:

be bounded by The town is bounded on one side by a river.
10
past simple and past participle of
11
a quick, long jump:

Examples:

With one bound the dog was over the fence.
12
13

Examples:

Northbound traffic is moving very slowly because of the accident.
US The line did not close completely, but inbound and outbound trains (= trains which were arriving and leaving) had to share one of the two tracks near the station.
14
(causing people to be) unable to leave a place because of an unwanted condition:

Examples:

During his long illness he was completely housebound (= he could not leave the house).
She has been wheelchair-bound for several years.
The airport was completely fogbound (= covered by fog).
15
used to describe a book that is covered or held together in the stated way:

Examples:

a leather-bound book
a spiral-bound notebook
16
used to describe clothes or other objects that have edges covered in the stated way:

Examples:

leather-bound cuffs
17
past simple and past participle of bind
18
certain or extremely likely to happen:

Examples:

[ + to infinitive ] You’re bound to feel nervous about your interview.
19

Examples:

Several of the prisoners had been bound.
20
having a moral or legal duty to do something:

Examples:

She is not legally bound to pay the debts, but she has agreed to do it anyway.
21
traveling in the direction of:

Examples:

She was on a plane bound for Fairbanks.
fig. These two young musicians are bound for success.
22
to mark or form the limits of:

Examples:

The town is bounded on one side by a river.
23
to move quickly with large, jumping movements:

Examples:

A deer bounded across the road.
24

Examples:

With one bound the dog was over the fence.
25
having a legal duty to do something:

Examples:

be bound to do sth Because of international treaty obligations, the Government is legally bound to consider every asylum claim.
be bound by sth Many government agencies are bound by a federal order to adequately serve speakers of other languages or risk losing funding.
26
kept at or below an agreed or allowed level:

Examples:

a bound level/rate/tariff Overall, the percentage of developed countries' imports of industrial goods under bound rates rose from 94% to 99%.

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